PARIS— Adrian Ward-Rees is to become president of Dries Van Noten on Dec. 1, taking over from Axel Keller who is stepping down after five years in the role.
Ward-Rees joins the Antwerp-based fashion house from Moncler Grenoble, where he has been chief business officer since October 2024.
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A graduate of the University of Surrey in the U.K., Ward-Rees has had a varied fashion career working for brands including Amiri, Burberry, Dior Homme, Speedo and Nike, along with retailers including Selfridges and Lane Crawford, his LinkedIn profile shows.
In a brief statement distributed Friday morning, Dries Van Noten said Keller would remain with the house until the end of the year to support Ward-Rees during the handover.
"During his tenure, Axel worked closely with the leadership and creative teams to support the development of the house's retail, wholesale and digital activities, strengthen its international presence and expand its accessories offering," the statement said.
During his tenure, Keller oversaw the opening of new flagships in New York and London, alongside beauty and accessories "Gallery" stores in Paris, Brussels, Milan and Kyoto, Japan.
"Axel also played a key role in the creative succession of the house, accompanying the appointment of Julian Klausner as creative director in 2024, following Dries Van Noten's decision to step down from the role," the statement said. "Working closely with the teams, he helped ensure continuity throughout this period and supported the beginning of a new creative chapter."
While parent company Puig does not break down sales by brand, Dries Van Noten logged double-digit revenue growth in the first half of 2026, outpacing the group's overall 4.4 percent like-for-like uptick, as reported.
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